Floor covering composed of releasably connected hollow bodies



United States Patent Albert Beierlein Darmstadt, Germany Sept. 6, 1968Oct. 27, 1970 Mannesmann Aktiengesellschaft, Duesseldorf, Germany, acorporation of Germany Sept. 6, 1967, Dec. 8, 1967 Germany [72] Inventor[2i Appl. No. [22] Filed [45] Patented [73] Assignee 32] Priority [54]FLOOR COVERING COMPOSED 0F RELEASABLY CONNECTED HOLLOW BODIES 10 Claims,11 Drawing Figs.

[52] U. S. Cl 94/13, 52/582, 94/4 [51] Int. Cl EOlc 5/00 [50] FieldofSearch 52/582;

No References Cited. Primary Examiner-Jacob L. Nackenoff Attorney ErnestF. Marmorek ABSTRACT: A floor covering has a series of adjacentelongated hollow bodies, each with a projection on each end face,interconnected by means of staggered inclined fish plates, each engagingwith its end portions two adjoining projections while each projectionengages an end portion of two adjoining fish plates.

Patented Oct. 27, 1970 3,535,988

Sheet 1 of 5 Inventor: WW,

Patented Oct. 27, 1970 Fig.3

Sheet In ven tor:

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Patented Oct. 27, 1970 3,535,988

Sheet 3 015 Inventor Patnted Oct. 27, 1970 3,535,988

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ELOOR COVERING COMPOSED OF RELEASABLY CONNECTED HOLLOW BODIES Theinvention relates to floor coverings for the rapid construction ofroads, bridges, one-ways and landing paths, platforms and the like,composed of a series of closely adjacent and releasably interconnectedfour-cornered hollow bodies. The hollow bodies preferably are composedof steel, and have abutting outer surfaces for the transmission of loadmoments among adjoining hollow bodies, and these abutting outer surfacesare made in the fashion of slot and key. The are in articulate abutment,preferably in the form that each hollow body has one concave abutmentsurface and one convex abutment surface, the latter being made of acylindrical tube, and the upper and lower covers of the hollow body areconnected to the top and bottom respectively of the cylindrical tube,for instance by welding.

It is among the principal objects of the invention to provide a floorcovering of the type referred to, the hollow bodies of which are simpleto handle and may be quickly and reliably connected to each other.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth inpart in the following specification and in part will be obvioustherefrom without being specifically referred to, the same beingrealized and attained as pointed out in the claims hereof.

Generally, the instant invention achieves the foregoing aims providingelongated hollow bodies that have each a pin on each end face. Aprojection extends from each pin beyond the respective end face, and isrecessed. Each two adjoining hollow bodies are interconnected by meansof a connecting link or fish plate, and each projection is engaged bytwo fish plates. The fish plates are in overlapping relationship andinclined relative to the end surfaces. The outer of the two fish plateson each projection engages the recess of the projection. Each fish platehas two apertures that are spaced from each other for a distancecomparable to the distance between the projections of two adjoininghollow bodies, and preferably the apertures are elongated in thelongitudinal direction of the fish plate.

The placing of the covering is simple. First there is mounted onto thefirst hollow body on both end faces on each projection a fish plate theaperture of which rests on the recess of the projection. Thereafter, thefree end of each fish plate is placed with its aperture onto theprojection of the next adjoining hollow plate to engage that portion ofthe projection that is disposed between the root of the pin and therecess; and onto this last named projection a second fish plate ismounted outwardly with respect to the previously mounted fish plate andengages the recess of that last named projection, so that the last namedfish plate will overlap the previously mounted fish plate and willretain it in its projection due to the engagement of the last named fishplate with the recess. During the connection to the next (third) hollowbody, the same procedure is observed. The very last fish plate at thetermination of the floor covering may be secured, for instance by aclamp strap. In order to exchange hollow plates, either because they mayhave been damaged or for any other reason, and to carry out the exchangequickly without need to disassemble the entire floor covering, theinvention provides that at least some of the hollow bodies areinterconnected by fish plates that are composed of separable parts andconnected between the ends of the fish plates. Such a modified fishplate may, for instance include two elongated parts that overlap for aportion and be interconnected by screws; but may also be made moreelaborately, for instance in the manner of a turn buckle.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment, one elongated surface of eachhollow body is concave in accordance with a half cylinder and engagesthe half cylindrical convex elongated surface of the next adjoininghollow body. The concave surface forms a part of a half cylindricaltubular piece, while the convex elongated surface forms part of acylindrical tube; and the root portion of the pin fits telescopinglyinto the cylindrical tube and is welded thereinto.

It is particularly suitable to provide that portion of the projection ofthe pin that extends between the recess and the root of such a largedimension that its height is somewhat larger than the width of therecess.

In muddy terrain, the instant floor covering has beeirfound to be usefulparticularly in connection with a further improvement that provides thathollow bodies of similar construction are placed in a second layer belowthe layer of the floor covering, and at right angles to the longitudinalextension of the hollow bodies of the upper layer.

For the use of the floor covering in road building, it is advantageousto provide in a lower layer two rows of hollow;

bodies that correspond to road lanes, and if desired to provider in thatlower layer a double row composed of two adjoining hollow bodies undereach lane, serving as a sort of foundation.- This provides for anexcellent longitudinal rigidity.

The hollow bodies in accordance with the invention are particularly easyto handle, because they may easily be lifted with a crane, by attachingthe loop of a rope around the two-end surface projections; andfurthermore the hollow bodies may be supported on parallel bars whichpreferably have a shape that matches the recesses of the projections,and thus be suspended and transported.

In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, the hollowbodies may be made of trapezoidal shape, and each body will have atleast one vertical bore near its narrow end, and at least two suchvertical bores near the other end, in both the upper and lower covers,to receive ground engaging pins.

In accordance with a further embodiment, corrugated sheet metal orfriction generating synthetic material may be provided for the upper andlower covers, to prevent slipping of the'floor covering on the ground.

The instant invention has the advantages that for the rapid constructionof roads and the like that include curved portions, there is needed buta single main building element, namely the hollow body. With thetrapezoidal hollow body, such curves may be produced by joiningsuccessive hollow bodies of the same lateral direction. that means thatthe shorter side of one hollow body is placed next to the shorter sideof the adjacent hollow body. For a floor covering of a straight roadsection, the same trapezoidal hollow bodies may be used, by placing theshorter end of one hollow body to the wider end of an adjoining hollowbody, but yielding a straight horizontal surface. For attaching thefloor covering to the ground, ground engaging pins are driven throughthe aforesaid bores of the hollow bodies into the ground. The aforesaidbores extend through the entire height of the hollow body, including theupper and lower covers thereof.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention,reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of a floor covering,in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, showing parts of twohollow bodies, projections thereof and overlapping fish platesinterconnecting them;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a fish plate of the type shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 1, but embodyinga modified fish plate;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a pin with projection andrecess in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the pin shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a hollow body in accordance with a preferredembodiment;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 8 is an end elevational view of the hollow body of FIGS. 6 and 7;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary large scale plan view, showing a floor covering;

FIG. 10 is a large scale side elevational view of a fish plate; and

FIG. 11 is a large scale side elevational view of a clamp stra Rgferringparticularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, a hollow body or hollow bodies 1 areprovided that includes a cylindrical tube 2 welded into the hollowbody 1. A pin 3 laterally is inserted into each tube 2, and the root ofeach pin 3 fits in telescoping fashion into the tube 2, and is connectedthereto, for instance welded thereinto. A cylindrical projection 4extends from the root of the pin 3, and has a recess 5. Between therecess 5 and the root there extends a portion, the height of which isslightly larger than the width of the recess 5.

Fish plates or connecting links 6 are provided that interconnectadjoining projections 4. The connection is done in such a manner thatthe end portion 6a of the fish plate 6 that is outermost on the pin 3(see the left-hand side of FIG. 1) overlaps a portion of the inner fishplate 6, and engages the recess 5.

Each fish plate preferably is provided with two elongated apertures, thedirection of elongation of which coincides with the longitudinaldirection of the fish plate 6. The fish plate 6 engages with itsapertures 7 the projections 4 of the pins 3. At least some of the pinsmay be constructed in accordance with FIG. 3, namely be composed of twoparts 6 and 6" respectively, that are interconnected by means of screwsor bolts 8. These type fish plates may thus be taken apart intermediatetheir ends, and thereby facilitate the removal of any one hollow body 1.

In accordance with the construction shown in FIG. 7, the hollow bodies 1are provided in a layer, namely an upper layer, and below that there isprovided a lower layer 9' composed of similar hollow bodies but disposedat right angles to the hollow bodies 1 of the upper layer. As best shownin FlG. 7, the lower layer may provide a foundation for each lane. ifthe floor covering be a roadway, and each such support or foundation foreach lane may be composed of two adjoining hollow plates (as shown onthe left side of HG. 7) or of three hollow bodies (as shown on theright-hand side of FIG. 7). While two and three hollow bodies are shownadjacent in the lower layer, this number may of course be varied inaccordance with need, as will be obvious to the skilled artisan.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment, each hollow plate 1 may havea trapezoidal shape. As best shown in FIG. 8, each hollow body 1 has anupper plate 10 and a lower plate 11, that may be made of steel. One ofthe longitudinal sides 2' serves as slot for the slot and keyconnection, and includes a semicylindrical half tube that presents aconcave outer surface, and the other longitudinal side is composed of acylindrical tube 2 that serves as the key" for the slot and keyconnection, and that presents an external convex surface; the convexlongitudinal surface of one hollow body 1 matches the concavelongitudinal surface of the next adjoining hollow body 1, and formstherewith an articulate connection, when attached thereto with the fishplates 6. The tube 2 and the semicylindrical half tube 2 are welded tothe upper and lower covers 10 and 11, respectively.

Near the narrower end there is provided a vertical bore 12, and near thewide end of the hollow body 1, there are provided two vertical bores 13,which are similar to the bore 12. While only one bore 12 and two bores13 are shown in FIG. 6, it will be understood that more than one bore 12and more or fewer than two bores 13 may be provided instead. They serveto receive ground engaging pins (not shown).

On each end face the tube 2 carries a pin 3, and each pin 3 has aprojection 4 of the aforesaid type. The projections 4 carry the fishplates 6 (see, for instance, FIG. 10); at least the last fish plate 6 issecured against accidental removal by means I ofa clamp strap 14 (SeeFIG. 11).

As shown in FIG. 9, a straight floor covering may be the hollow bodiesof the upper layer.

In all the disclosed em odiments, the upper as well as the lower covers10 and 11, respectively, may be provided either with a corrugated sheetor with a slip-preventing synthetic material.

lfwish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to theexact details of construction shown and described, for obviousmodifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1, A floor comprising a series of adjacently positioned and releasablyconnected elongated hollow bodies, each hollow body including an uppercover and a lower cover, a semicylindrical longitudinal wall forming aconcave outer lateral surface, a cylindrical tube connected to saidupper and lower covers and forming a longitudinal wall defining a convexouter lateral surface opposite and matching in length and curvature saidconcave outer surface, whereby the concave outer lateral surface of onehollow body may engage the convex outer lateral surface of the nextadjoining hollow body, a pin mounted on each end of said tube andincluding a projection extending outwardly beyond each end face of saidtube, said projection having a recess, a series of overlappingconnecting links inclined relative to said end faces, each connectinglink interconnecting with its end portions the projections of twoadjacent hollow bodies, each projection engaging one end portion each oftwo adjoining connecting links, the outer of said connecting links oneach projection engaging with its end portion said recess.

2. A floor covering, as claimed in claim I, the inner of said connectinglinks engaging with its end portion a projection near the root thereof.

3. A floor covering, as claimed in claim 1, said hollow bodies being ofwelded steel construction, each pin including a root fittingtelescopingly into said tube and being welded thereinto.

4. A floor covering, as claimed in claim I, said connecting links beinglongitudinal, each end portion of each connecting link having anelongated aperture, the direction of elongation of the aperturescoinciding with the longitudinal direction of the connecting link.

5. A floor covering, as claimed in claim 1, each connecting linkincluding two parts releasably interconnected between the end portions.

6. A floor covering, as claimed in claim I, each hollow body being oftrapezoidal shape.

7. A floor covering, as claimed in claim 6, each hollow body having nearits narrow end at least one bore for receiving a ground engaging pin,and having near its wide end at least two of said bores.

8. A floor covering, as claimed in claim 1, said upper and lower coversincluding corrugated sheet material.

9. A floor covering, as claimed in claim 1, said upper and lower coversincluding a friction promoting coat of synthetic material.

10. A floor covering, as claimed in claim 1, said series of hollowbodies defining an upper layer for a roadway, and a lower layer. belowsaid upper layer and comprising a plurality of said hollow bodiespositioned at right angles to the hollow bodies of the upper layer andforming a lane foundation for the roadway.

